It had been a while since I looked in on my hives, and with all the talk about robbing and dearth, I just wanted to make sure everything was as good as it looks from the outside. Here is my report, from a bee yard that is near to a small wild canyon in the Palisades.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56y0KsfS94S7z9xDm-whNXrPV2bHloVN3kvlUg0O45yX9hyphenhyphenfxXkGFRPfd2Xh9O5K0SZ_dyCJ26wtNEgsg6l3It3uMLtvoD4SSgWlp65EfGueQJyWY_ERn8WjubiP4fvPezZPf2DPo7Zo/s400/1.self_reduced.jpg)
Looks to me like they created theri own entrance reducer out of newspaper pulp! (Newspaper was used for the several swarm-merges I did.)
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I was glad to see so many bees. And a little surprised! Notice the beautiful pristine white comb they made on that last frame, upper right.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsYJEMzV0OPbiDOBPGwV6vQVdJvqJKtpWCi4BIZNx8V1CssspllTI-42hk163WexIbbSFzV2HaFmyjSB6P_XY7wY6OrenOhoHf8cDh_wV45C4sBya1d0UR8cY0UkiP0oaUo7lM1lRS6wE/s400/4.dronebrood.jpg)
Pollen cells, with honey above. Notice the drone brood in the middle.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEA0DtOHUzWRJeNkcBFSgp82FakU9p3Cd0pQmGcBVgqDq3lhDUywNM8HB5Dq-gHWXrZSF4gGoH6cC6y1Zpytqt36e1dX3pyINcmoJKHFPr6FN7fJ7eOd-G2LP8baQm9PMx_gaEoqIfH7o/s400/8.cross_comb.jpg)
Here they built comb across the frames. I hate to cut it but, had to.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepcQyPzgdhyphenhyphen42fDiflwy60yM7-WPeA5CH8pNapmxMuZtt8UK2PPQPs2zz2prC6Kr1BklvsWzjsR5eheTF1ZAzPBaoL0wPMPHMazrSjCI755isQKqZASh3jISgZC3VE-qsc7289029K4o/s400/11.post_clustering.jpg)
They got worked up and stressed out as we finished up and clustered around the entrance for a few minutes. Then all was back to normal.
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View from the bee yard. They've got a ton of wild fennel and mustard. Sweet!
—Ruth